The Clifton clarion., 1887-08-31
WATEw STORAGE.


 The following most excellent ar ticle on water storage, published in the Albuquerque Citizen, IS worthy of careful persual and con sideration. The Gila valley in Graham county affords magnificent opportunities to put the matter to a practical test and in numerous instances at comparatively small cost, and thousands of acres of splendid grazing and agricultural lands could be reclaimed thereby:
 How shall our surplus water be stored for use when needed! This is the important question which demands our most earnest atten- ton. Our territory Is but sparsely populated, apart from our cattle and sheep growers, many of whom fear the advent of the agricultural ists Our people are poor, and res ervoirs capable ofstoring the sur plus from our water courses and rainfalls cost princely sums. Our territorial government has no au- thority to hypothecate the future resources of the territory for this purpose. How then shall 1t be done? There is but one answer. We must go to the general govern ment. The treasury of the Unit ed States is full to repletion; that money belongs to the people and must be used for the general good. The arid lands of New Mexico, Arlzona, Utah, Nevada and Wy oming are held Tn trust by the gov ernment for the use of the land less of the entire nation. Until these lands are watered they are useless, except as their scanty grass furnishes food for cOmpar- atively few cattle and sheep. IT, rigate this immense domain and 1t will furnish food and homes for population greater than the entire nation now numbers within her borders. Let, then, the govern ment take out her surplus funds, dam arroyas and canyons, sink ar tesians wells and construct reser- yoirs until the work is completed, and her great domain fit to be in habited by the overcrowded pop ulation of the northern and east ern portions. In the demand up- on Congress, Colorado, Nevada, California and all the territories will unite. It should be the will ingly performed duty of every pa per in the states and territories named to agitate this question, and every citizen in either, who knows a member of Congress, should write to him a private let ter, asking his cooperation in the work. Meetings should be held; petitions drawn up and circulated, asking Congress to aid us to water the public lands. The sale of lands thus reclaimed would, in great part, repay the cost of the necessary work for their reclamation, even at government prices, and the re- claimed lands furnish homes for great and prosperous communities.
 The vast plains of India, which stretch from the base of the Him alaya mountains, were as arid as New Mexico and Arizona few de- cades ago. The British govern ment needed new outlets for her surplus population, and new fields upon which to grow the food sup plies for those of her people who remained on the sea girt islands, as well as new population to pur- chase the surplus product of her looms and forges. Immense stor- age reservoirs were constructed by the government in and near the foothills of the Himalayas to catch and hold tue surplus waters, until now immense bodies of water are preserved and distributed when needed. The result of this wise expenditure of the British govern ment gold has been all that could be desired, and to-day India com petes, successfully, with the wheat fields of America and Russia, in the markets of the world, and her reclaimed territory is but begin ming to be populated. All that Great Britain has done in North ern India, the United States may do and ought to do for the arid mountain slopes, valleys and broad plains within her territory.
 We must not wait, however. for government action. Individual effort can accomplish much; com munity efforts more. Private wells, in many cases, will furnish water enough to support a family, and in all cases where this can be, it should be done. Remember, "the gods help those that help them selves"
 The industrious and painstaking Mormon inhabitant of Utah has built hIs small reservoir in some arroya and stored sufficient water for his little farm, not in one case alone, but in thousands of instan- ces, until barren valleys are now beautiful gardens. What Utah has done New Mexico and Arizona can do.
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